Reviewed by ZINOBULALI GODUKA
16 February 2026
A post-apocalyptic set, 1990s music, dance and a classical tale reimagined, is the only combination that will drag me into theatre mode on a Friday night. Paper + Roses written by Kimberley Buckle and directed by Bianca Rasmussen showing at The Outlore Base boasted a thrilling dance ensemble choreographed by Nkosinathi Mazwai. What a talented bunch!
As we ascend the staircase to the venue - we pass graffiti written in red with the house rules, “sit, stand or roam but don’t get in the way”. When we got on top of the staircase, we received red clothes that made us part of The Mints, which is the governing power in The Provenance doing everything in its might to crush and silence the Torn; the rebellious, voiceless young people who communicate through dance. This is the first ever immersive musical I have ever been part of. I walked into the industrial-white-space turned into an eye-catching paper marvel of three-d patterns, graffiti and wanted flyers. I roamed around for a bit but I ended up perched on a seat like the well-mannered theatre patron I was taught to be. I wasn’t sure how far the immersion could go. The dancers search amongst the audiences with their flashlights pointing at the walls, on the parts of the set and some audience members. All dressed in distressed, grungy jeans. Isabella, played by Saskia Bormans, walks around in an elegant tailored jean dress draped with the red cloth representing The Mint with a cute pair of heels. The audience chit - chat adding a chaotic ambiance to this dystopian world of Papers + Roses.
This production is an ambitious idea and a bold execution, unfortunately what sets it apart is also what weakens some of its elements. This could have been a technical issue but I couldn’t hear most of what was being said, or sang. The music was overpowering and dragging the dancers along. I wished they had tossed the mics and just projected. The music was also off beat with the dancers. The production could have worked better with musicians doing their own thing and being given their moments to shine, and the dancers given their tracks to dance to.
The commitment of the performers reverberated throughout the performance, pulling us back when we were thrown off by the music.Torch (Azande Dube) held the audience with her strong presence and moved between the emotionally charged scenes to one where she leads with softness. Isabella’s character arch is the most nurtured one textually and visually. Saskia Bormans carries Isabella with the elegance of a corporate hun and we go through the turmoil of her world falling into shreds as she becomes entangled with the Torn through her disappeared father. Her costume is as battered as her mind should be at this point with all the revelations about her father and being a hostage of the Torn. Rose(Thulani Nzonzo) and Isabella’s relationship felt rushed and premature. Their attraction was quick, no resistance to it by the rest of the Torn members or if there was I didn’t hear it.
The choreography of this production was the star of the show. The dancers gave it their all even with the interaction with the audience.They embodied the rebellion with such conviction. Their interaction with the lights was just superb. When this production comes back, I hope they give them separate music and let them fly.
Papers + Roses must come back. There is a lot to be harnessed and harvested in this production and I believe in its next season, it will be refined and hammer the revolution with the rigour it promises to have. Plus, the themes explored in it are relevant to the current times.